Vending machine attachment



J'an- 12 1937 l C. R. slMPKlNS ET A1. 2,067,351

VENDING` MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed April 25, 1955 INVENTORSCarl/SL'mp/Zzins 4 and rafw Radi/fe g BY THE/R, ATTORNEYS Patented dan.12, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE ATTACHMENT rationof Illinois Application April 25, 1935, Serial No. 18,172

6 Claims.

Ihis invention relates to a vending machine attachment.

It is an object oi this invention to provide an improved vending machineattachment which is relatively simple and inexpensive in constructionand eicient in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment forcoin-controlled vending machines, particularly those of the so-calleddigger or crane type, and which is so constructed that the coin controland associated Vending mechanism can not be operated if the merchandisestorage magazine embodied in the `attachment is empty; or, in otherwords, unless there is a quantity of the vendible commodity in thestorage magazine.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combina- Y tion and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which: Fig. 1is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of va vending machine showing apreferred form of the present invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View on line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail view, on line 3--3 in Fig; 1,showing the coin-controlled latching device embodied in the invention;

Fig. 4 is a View, on line 4 4 in Fig. 1, partly in section and partly inbottom plan; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of a part of the vending machineattachment.

The present invention is particularly adapted to be associated with acoin-controlled vending machine of the so-called crane or digger type,and a portion of the cabinet of such a vending machine is shown in thedrawing, is therein generally indicated at Il), and comprises amerchandise storage or display compartment I I having a transparentiront wall I2; said display compartment being adapted to' contain aquantity of a Vendible commodity I3 which might be, for example, candyor the like.

There is a tendency for candy or other edible, vendible commodities,upon standing in the display compartment I3, to spoil and become unfitfor use, and to overcome this objectionable feature the presentinvention provides an article storage hopper or magazine I4 which isprovided with a flange I5 by means of which the hopper I4 is mountedupon a horizontal wall I6 of the cabinet I0.

The hopper I4 is provided with an open top I 'I over which is arranged aclosure I 8. The hopper I4 is provided with converging sloping bottomwalls I9 vand below the point of convergence of these walls IS thehopper I4 is provided with a discharge spout or outlet which is adaptedto hold a predetermined measured quantity of a vendible commodity.Arranged below this discharge outlet or spout 20 is an inclined deliveryor discharge chute 2I which opens, as at 22 (Fig. 1), exteriorly of thecabinet I0 through an opening provided in the front wall 23 thereof.

slidably mounted above the discharge outlet 20 of the hopper I4 is avalve 24 which is provided with a discharge opening 25 and this slidablevalve 24 has a depending finger 26 to which is attached a resettingspring 2l by means of which the slide valve 24 is normally retractedinto position (as in full lines, Fig. 1) to prevent communicationbetween the hopper I4 and the discharge outlet 20 of the same.

Pivotally mounted in the cabinet I0, as at 43, below the dischargeoutlet 20 of the hopper I4 is a dispensing valve plate 28 which isadapted to hold a measured quantity of merchandise in the outlet orchute 2D of the hopper. Attached to this dispensing valve or plate 28are spaced arms 29 which are adapted to engage the depending arm 26 ofthe slidable valve 24.

The dispensing valve 28 has an arm 3D to which is attached a spring 3l,this spring 3I also being attached to a link 32 which is, in turn,pivotally mounted in the cabinet I0, as at 35; this member 32 having apin and slot connection 33 with a disc 34 which is carried by a motordriven shaft 36 which is arranged within the cabinet I0. The dispensingvalve 28 has a lateral extension or arm 42 with which the link 32 isengageable.

Mounted upon a horizontal shaft 3'I which extends into the hopper I4, isa plate 38, and this shaft 31 has an angled end portion 39 which islatchingly engageable in a notched edge portion 40 of the coin slide 4Iwhich is slidably mounted in the front wall 23 of the cabinet lll.

Operation A quantity of an edible or other vendible commodity ofmerchandise may be displayed in the display compartment II, and anotherquantity of the same merchandise may be placed in the hopper I4. At acertain time during the operation of the power driven shaft 36 and thedisc 34 carried thereby, the pin 33 'acts upon the link 32 to pivot thedispensing valve 28 from its normal or initial position (as in full lineposition A, Fig. 1), clockwise, into dotted line position B) thismovement of the link 32 being transmitted to the valve 28 by the spring3|. During this movement the arms 29 of the dispensing valve 28 engagethe depending arm 26 of the slidable valve 24 and move the latter (leftto right, Fig. l) thereby registering the discharge aperture 25 in theslide valve 24 with the open lower end of the hopper I4, so as todischarge a predetermined or measured quantity of a vendible commodityfrom the hopper I4 into the spout 20 and onto the dispensing valve 28;whereupon, the valve 28 is reset into its initial position (position A,Fig. l) by the action of its resetting spring 3|. At a subsequent stagein the operation of the motor driven shaft 36, disc 34 and link 32, thedispensing valve 2B is moved (counter-clockwise, Fig. 1, from position Bto position C) thereby moving the valve 28 out from under the dischargechute 20 and thus permitting the measured quantity o-f merchandisecontained in the chute 20 to be discharged from the chute 2) onto theinclined delivery chute 2| by which it is delivered exteriorly of thecabinet to the purchaser; it being noted that this movement of thedispensing valve 28 (from position A, Fig. 1 to position C) is effectedby engagement of the link 32 with the arm 42 of the valve 28.Subsequently the dispensing valve 28 is returned to its normal orinitial position, as at A, Fig. 1, by its resetting spring 3|, and theslidable valve 24 is reset into its initial position, as in full lines,Fig. 1, by means of its resetting spring 21.

'I'he coin slide 4I may be operated, to effect the operation of thevending machine (which may be of the crane or digger type), as long asthere are articles of merchandise in the hopper I4, since as long asthere are any of such articles in the hopper I4, the same will gravitatedown the inclined side walls I9 of the hopper I4 and will bear againstthe latch plate 38 and thereby cause the latter to act upon the shaft 31to pivot the latching end portion 39 of the latter out of engagementwith the notched portion 40 of the coin slide 4I. However, as soon asthe last of the vendible articles has been discharged from the hopper I4into the measuring pocket 21], the latch plate 38, acting as a pendulum,returns by gravity to its initial position, as in full lines, Fig. 2,and in so doing rocks the shaft 31 into position to dispose the angledend portion 39 thereof in latching engagement with the notched portion4|! of the coin slide 4I, thereby latching the c gin slide 4I andassociated vending mechanism (not shown) against operation until afurther supply of vendible articles is placed in the hopper I4,whereupon the latch plate 38 is again moved, by the pressure of sucharticles, into a position to rock the shaft 31 so as to move the angledend portion 39 thereof out of latching engagement with the notchedportion 4I] of the coin slide 4I.

In this manner the coin slide 4| and associated vending mechanism (notsho-wn) are latched against operation if and when the hopper I4 becomesempty.

While only part of the operating mechanism of the vending machine isshown it is to be understood that the present invention is not limitedto use with any specific type of vending machine but may be used withany type of vending machine in which the vending mechanism is actuatedby a coin-controlled device. In the preferred form of the inventionshown, however, it is to be understood that the coin slide 4I actuatesthe vending mechanism of a vending machine of the crane type and suchmachines include a motor driven shaft 36, the circuit to the motor Whichoperates this shaft 36 being controlled, in a conventional manner, bythe coin slide 4I.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable o-fvariation and modification, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. We, therefore, do not Wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:V

1. In a vending machine, a cabinet, an article storage magazine in saidcabinet, a coin control including a slide movably mounted in a Wall ofsaid cabinet and having a notched latch part, means for latching saidcoin slide against operation when said storage magazine is empty, saidmeans comprising a member pivoted on an interior wall of said magazineand having a latch rod extended therefrom and movable therewith fornormal latching engagement with the notch part of said slide and beingmovable out of latching engagement with the notched latch part of theslide responsive to the pressure of articles against said pivotallymounted member in said magazine.

2. In a vending machine, an article storage magazine, a coin-operatedcontrol including a reciprocable control member having means forengagement by a latch device, and latch means for said control member toprevent operation of the same when said magazine is empty, said meansincluding a member pivotally mounted on an interior wall of saidmagazine and having a latch rod extended therefrom and movable therewithfor latching engagement with the said latch-receiving means of thereciprocable control member, the said pivotally mounted member beingnormally adapted to move by gravity in a manner to move said latch rodinto latching engagement with the control member and being furtheradapted by the pressure of articles thereagainst in said magazine tomove said latch rod out of latching engagement with the control member.

3. A vending machine having an article storage magazine and acoin-operated control including a reciprocable control member having alatching notch and latching mechanism for preventing the operation ofsaid coin-operated control when said magazine is empty, said mechanismcomprising a plate-like member pivotally mounted on a Wall of saidmagazine and having a portion exposed to contact with articles therein,said pivotally mounted member having a latching member extendedtherefrom and movable into and out of latching engagement with thelatching notch of said reciprocable member upon movement of theplate-like member, the latter being normally positioned by gravity in aAmanner to move said latching member into latching position and beingmovable by the pressure of articles in said magazine to move saidlatching member out of latching engagement with the latching notch ofsaid reciprocable member.

4. In a vending machine, a cabinet, an article storage magazine in thecabinet, a coin slide '15,v

having a latch-receiving notch movably mounted in a Wall of the cabinetand means for latching the said slide against operation when the articlestorage magazine is empty, said means comprising a plate-like membersupported for pivotal movement on a wall of said magazine and having aportion exposed to contact with articles in the magazine, the pressureof such articles against said plate-like member moving the same in adirection outwardly of the magazine, a latch rod operatively connectedto said platelike member and having a portion movable into and out oflatching engagement with the notch part of said slide by movement of theplate-like member, the latter being positionable by gravity When thereare no articles in the magazine to move said latch rod into latchingengagement with said slide, and being movable by the pressure ofarticles thereagainst to move said latch rod out of latching engagementwith the slide.

5. In a vending machine, a storage hopper for vendible merchandise and acoin controlled member for releasing merchandise and including a coinslide having a latching notch, control means comprising a control membersupported for pivotal movement in a direction into and out of saidhopper and having a portion exposed to contact with merchandise in thehopper, a" latch rod supported for movement into and out of latchingengagement With the notched portion of said coin slide and adapted toprevent movement of the latter when the said hopper is empty, saidcontrol member and said latch rod being operatively connected such thatsaid rod is normally moved by said control member into latchingengagement with the slide when said hopper is empty and there are noarticles in contact with the control member, and such that the saidlatch rod will be moved out of latching engagement With the slide by thepressure of merchandise against said control member.

6. A vending machine including a storage hopper for merchandisearticles, a coin-operated control including a frame member and a controlmember manually movable therein, the said frame and movable controlhaving registered latch notches adapted to receive a latch member toprevent movement of the movable control member, and latch meansincluding a pivotally mounted member on a wall of said hopper and havinga portion exposed for engagement with articles therein, the said pivotedmember having a latch rod operatively connected thereto and beingdisposed in a normal position to hold said latch rod in latchingposition relative to the latch-receiving notches in said frame andcontrol members, the said pivotally mounted member being movable byengagement with merchandise articles in said hopper to position saidlatch rod out of latching engagement with the latching notches in saidframe and control members.

CARL R. SIMPKINS. BRUNO RADTKE.

